WEBVTT
GOOD MORNING.
I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO
COMMISSIONER DAVIS AND CHIEF
FORD HERE.
THIS IS FOR EVERYONE'S
INFORMATION.
COMMISSIONER KEVIN DAVIS AND
CHIEF NILES FORD OF THE
BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE
MTA.
I AM CHIEF TJ SMITH, DIRECTOR OF
COMMUNITY RELATIONS WITH
BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HERE IS THE CHIEF AND
COMMISSIONER.
>> OK, GOOD MORNING.
CHIEF TJ SMITH IS GOING TO GO
OVER THE DETAILS AS WE KNOW THEM
RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE STILL VERY PRELIMINARY.
THIS IS A CRASH INVESTIGATION.
WE HAVE EVERY RESOURCE AVAILABLE
TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND
FIRE DEPARTMENT OUT HERE AT
ASSISTING US IN THIS CRASH
INVESTIGATION.
SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE KILLED THIS
MORNING WHEN THESE TWO BUSES
COLLIDED.
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT
TO THE VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES,
THEIR COWORKERS, THEIR LOVED
ONES.
OBVIOUSLY, FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE
BUS THIS TIME OF MOURNING ARE
WORKING FOLKS AND ON THEIR WAY
TO MAKE A LIVING, ON THEIR WAY
TO THEIR JOBS, ON THE WAY TO
SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.
SO OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT
TO THEM, TO THEIR FAMILIES, TO
THEI COWORKERS, AS WELL.
THIS IS A COMPLICATED CRASH
SCENE AND WILL TAKE A LOT OF
RESOURCES TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF WHAT HAPPENED.
CHIEF SMITH WILL HAVE SOME
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ABOUT
WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE WILL BE OUT HERE FOR A
WHILE TODAY AND THROUGHOUT THE
DAY.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE
FAMILIES I MIND AND THE FOLKS
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES.
>> WE ALSO WANT TO KEEP IN MIND
THE HARD WORK THAT THE
RESPONDE DID IN VERY TOUGH
CIRCUMSTANCES.
THEY DID AN OUTSTANDIN JOB.
THIS WAS A MAJ INCIDENT, SOME
OF WHICH IS SOME SEASONED
INDIVIDUALS IN OUR ORGANIZATION
SAID THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THIS
TYPE OF WRECK IN THEIR
CAREER.
>> I WILL GO OVER THE DETAILS,
UNDERSTANDING A LOT OF THIS CAN
CHANGE.
IT WAS ABOUT 7:00 THIS MORNING
WHEN WE GOT A CALL FOR A CRASH
HERE IN THE 3800 BLOCK OF
FREDERICK AVENUE.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT A YELLOW
SCHOOL BUS WAS EASTBOUND ON
FREDERICK AVENUE, WHICH IS RIGHT
BEHIND ME, AND IT STRUCK THE
VEHICLE RIGHT BEHIND ME, A
MUSTANG.
ONCE THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS
STRUCK THE MUSTANG, A CONTINUED
EASTBOUND AND THEN STRUCK THE
PILLAR AT THE LOUDON PARK
CEMETERY.
THE PILLAR HAS SOME DAMAGE TO
IT.
THE BUS STRUCK THAT PILLAR AND
THEN CONTINUED EASTBOUND, WHERE
IT RAN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND
STRUCK AN MTA BUS ON THE DRIVER
SIDE AND BASICALLY RIPPED TO THE
ENTIRE DRIVER'S SIDE OFF OF THE
VEHICLE.
IT LITERALLY LOOKS LIKE A BOMB
EXPLODED IN THE BUS,
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE FIVE
FATALITIES ON THE MTA BUS, AND
THAT NUMBER CAN CHANGE.
WE HAVE NOT YET SEARCHED THE
VEHICLE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE
ARE FIVE FATALITIES ON THE MTA
BUS.
THE OTHER FATALITY WAS ON THE
YELLOW BUS.
THERE WERE A TWO OCCUPANTS ON
THE YELLOW BUS, A DRIVER AND AN
AIDE.
RIGHT NOW, WE BELIEVE THERE WERE
APPROXIMATELY 13 PEOPLE ON THE
MTA BUS.
EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
TRANSPORTED FROM THE MTA BUS
WITH VARYING DEGREES OF INJURY,
AND THOSE ARE FROM MINOR TO
CRITICAL.
WE ALSO HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO
WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL
FROM THE YELLOW BUS, AND OF
COURSE AN INDIVIDUAL CHANCE
PORTED FROM THIS VEHICLE RIGHT
BEHIND ME, THE MUSTANG.
SO 10 PEOPLE WERE TRANSPORTED TO
VARIOUS HOSPITALS WITH VARYING
DEGREES OF INJURY.
WE CANNOT SPECULATE ON THE CAUSE
OF THIS CRASH AT THIS POINT.
WE HAVE ASSISTANCE FROM ALL OF
OUR INVESTIGATIVE UNIT ON THE
SCENE.
TO CLEAR UP ANY RUMORS, I
UNDERSTAND THERE WERE RUMORS
CIRCULATING ABOUT THIS BEING A
CRIME SCENE -- IT IS NOT A CRIME
SCENE, IT IS A CRASH
INVESTIGATION SCENE.
IT'S ACTIVES FROM HOMICIDE UNITS
ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE USED TO
DEATH INVESTIGATIONS AND WE HAVE
A MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT
INVOLVING MULTIPLE FATALITIES --
DETECTIVES FROM HOMICIDE UNITS
ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE USED TO
DEATH INVESTIGATIONS.
IT IS NOT A CRIME SCENE, IT IS A
CRASH SCENE.
THE INVESTIGATION WILL CONTINUE.
IT IS A PRETTY HORRIFIC SCENE.
I HAVE BEEN ON A NUMBER OF CRASH
SCENES THROUGHOUT MY YEAR, AND
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COMES
UP IS HOW LONG THE ROAD WILL BE
SHUT DOWN.
PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO GO AROUND
THIS, A MIN INCONVENIENCE.
WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE FOR
FAMILIES AND VICTIMS INVOLVED IN
THIS TRAGIC SITUATION THAT
OCCURRED THIS MORNING.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE CAN
TAKE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>> I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT
ANSWER TO THAT, BUT IT WAS GOING
TO PICK UP A YOUNG PERSON ABOUT
FOUR OR FIVE BLOCKS AWAY.
THERE WERE NO CHILDREN ON THE
SCHOOL BUS.
WE DO NOT AT THIS TIME HAVE THE
AGES OF THOSE WHO WERE ON THE
MTA BUS.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>> THE DRIVER AND THE AIDE WERE
ON THE YELLOW BUS.
THE DRIVER WAS KILLED ON THE
YELLOW BUS.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
CAN YOU DESCRIBE FIREFIGHTERS
RESCUE PERSONNEL, WHAT THEY WENT
THROUGH, THE MECHANICS OF TRYING
TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES?
FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
SCHOOL BUS, TO GET INTO THE
SCHOOL BUS, THEY LITERALLY HAD
TO CUT OUT SEATS.
THEY INITIALLY WENT IN THE FRONT
COMPARTMENT WHERE PEOPLE
NORMALLY GO IN A SCHOOL BUS AND
FOUND THEMSELVES GOING IN THE
BACK ENTERING TO CUT THEIR WAY
UP TO THE DRIVER AND THE PATIENT
THAT WAS IN THERE.
THE MTA BUS, THEY ARE STILL
WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH.
THE PROBLEM IS, JUST AS WE
STATED6 C13
SO THERE ARE STILL PORTIONS OF
THE BUS THAT THEY HAVE NOT FULLY
BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> I SENT OUT A MEDIA ADVISORY
EARLIER, ASKING THE MEDIA TO BE
MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE
SIX DEAL WAY -- D'S ON THE
SCENE.
PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING PICTURES,
FILMING, IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE
TO POST ONLINE.
CONSIDER IF IT WAS ONE OF YOUR
LOVED ONES ON THIS BUS.
THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> THIS VEHICLE BEHIND ME?
WE DON'T HAVE ANY REASON TO
BELIEVE THAT AT THIS TIME.
THIS VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY THE
SCHOOL BUS, THE SCHOOL BUS THEN
CONTINUED ON, STRIKING THE
PILLAR.
THIS IS SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT.
WE HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE
THIS WAS A STOLEN VEHICLE.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE THAT
CAME FROM.
WE HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT.
HOLD ON, MEGAN?
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET, BUT
IT WAS GOING TO PICK UP A
STUDENT.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WILL BE
ABLE TO TELL US.
THERE IS A THEORY THAT HAS BEEN
INTRODUCED, WAS THERE A MEDICAL
EMERGENCY?
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WILL BE
ABLE TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION
TO SEE IF A MEDICAL EMERGEN
PRECEDED THE INCIDENT.
WE ALSO HAVE A SURVIVING VICTIM
ON THE YELLOW BUS THAT WILL BE
ABLE TO FILL IN SOME DETAILS FOR
US ONCE INTERVIEWED.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> I'M SORRY?
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
WE DON'T KNOW.
THERE ARE NOT ANY SKIDMARKS.
SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC TOOK
PLACE AND IT IS SOMETHING WE ARE
CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE.
YOU SEE THE DAMAGE THAT TOOK
PLACE ON THE BUS.
IT WAS CERTAINLY AT A SPEED THAT
YOU WOULD TRAVEL HERE.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.
THAT WILL BE PART OF OUR
INVESTIGATION.
I DO WANT TO GO INTO THE
PARTICULARS OF WHO WAS KILLED ON
THE MTA BUS AS WE HAVE THE NEXT
OF KIN TO DISCUSS.
I KNOW I MENTIONED THE BUS
DRIVER ON THE GALA BUS WAS
KILLED, BUT THAT WAS A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT -- YELLOW BUS WAS
KILLED, BUT THAT WAS A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT.
WE WANT TO DO WITH THE RIGHT WAY
BECAUSE WE HAVE SIX FAMILIES WE
HAVE TO NOTIFY THAT THEIR LOVED
ONES ARE NOT COMING HOME.
WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE AS WE
GET IT.
WE WILL TRY TO GET OUT AGES AND
CONDITIONS ON PEOPLE IN THE
HOSPITAL A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
THIS ROAD WILL BE SHUT DOWN FOR
A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME.
WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO TAKE
ALTERNATE ROUTES AND NOT TO
CONGREGATE AROUND THE AREA
BECAUSE IT WILL BE AN EXTENDED
PERIOD OF TIME THAT IT WILL BE
SHUT DOWN.
THANK YOU, GUYS.
>> THAT WAS CHIEF TJ SMITH FROM
THE BALTIMORE CITY POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
WE KNOW FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED
ON THE MTA BUS.
ONE PERSON COME OF THE DRIVER OF
THE SCHOOL BUS, WAS KILLED.
THERE WAS AN EIGHT ON THE SCHOOL
BUS, AS WELL.
-- AIDE ON THE SCHOOL BUS, AS
WELL.
THOSE WERE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE
ON THE SCHOOL BUS.
THAT PERSON DID SURVIVE.
THE SCHOOL BUS WAS TRAVELING
EASTBOUND ON FREDERICK, STRUCK
THE MUSTANG, CONTINUED ON AND
STRUCK THE PILLAR, AND THEN
CRASHED INTO THE MTA BUS,
TEARING IT APART.
LET'S HEAD OVER TO CAPTAIN ROY
TAYLOR.
ROY: WE ARE GOING TO FOLLOW UP
ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
WE ARE GOING TO WALK BACK TOWARD
THE MUSTANG HERE.
THAT WAY, WE CAN GET A GOOD
PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THE PRESS
CONFERENCE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE DAMAGE TO THE
REAR OF THAT MUSTANG, I MEAN THE
WHOLE REAR OF THE CAR IS JUST
LITERALLY DEMOLISHED.
IT WAS PUSHED UP AND ACTUALLY
SMACKED INTO THE SIDEWALK AND
INTO THE PILLAR.
THERE IS SO MUCH SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE.
THEN THE SCHOOL BUS TRAVEL
STRAIGHT ON FROM THAT POINT,
PRETTY MUCH IN A STRAIGHT LINE
TO WHERE THE BEND IN THE ROAD IS
, AND THAT IS WHERE IT CROSSES
THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINE AND
STRIKES THE MTA BUS ON THE LEFT
SIDE, RIPPING IT OPEN LIKE A CAN
OPENER.
THERE IS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SPEED.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS AT CREWS
SPEED, THAT THERE IS NO --
CRUISE SPEED, THAT THERE WAS NO
ATTEMPT TO SLOW IT DOWN.
TH ONLY SLOWING WAS DUE TO THE
RESIDUAL IMPACTS.
IT DID NOT SLOW UNTIL IT RIPPED
AT LEA HALF OF THAT MTA BUS,
THREE QUARTERS OF THAT MTA BUS
APART, JUST TEARING IT OPEN,
DEMOLISHING IT.
IF YOU NOTICE THE FRONT LEF CAB
WHERE THE ENGINE OF THE SCHOOL
BU IS IS EMBEDDED INTO THAT MTA
BUS.
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
IT IS JUST AMAZING THE AMOUNT OF
FORCE THAT WAS PUT IN THERE, THE
AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE HURT,
WE'RE JUST LUCKY THE MTA BUS WAS
NOT COMPLETELY FULL.
MINDY: POLICE MENTIONS NO TIRE
MARKS ON THE ROADWAY, WHICH
INDICATES SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC
OCCURRING.
NO ATTEMPT TO BRAKE.
ROY: YES, TRY IT AGAIN, PLEASE.
MINDY: POLICE MENTIONED THERE
WERE NO TIRE MARKS ON THE
ROADWAY AND IT APPEARS SOMETHING
CATASTROPHIC OCCURRED BECAUSE
THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO BRAKE.
ROY: THERE ARE NO SKIDMARKS ON
THE ROAD WHATSOEVER.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY LOCK
BRAKES ON THE SCHOOL BUS.
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE
BUS ATTEMPTED TO BREAK.
THAT IS WHAT LED ME TO BELIEVE
THERE MIGHT BE SOME TYPE OF
MEDICAL PROBLEM, WHERE THE
INDIVIDUAL ENDED UP STRIKING THE
MUSTANG AND THEN YOU GO A GREAT
DISTANCE FROM THAT POSITION AND
IT ENDS UP GOING DOWN TO --
HITTING THE MTA BUS.
SO, FROM THE POINT WHERE THE
MUSTANG IS LITERALLY DEMOLISHED
TO THE POINT WHERE THE SCHOOL
BUS HITS THE MTA BUS, THERE IS
NO SKIDMARKS, THERE IS NO SIGN
OF THE BUS TRYING TO AVOID ANY
TYPE OF COLLISION OR TRYING TO
SLOW DOWN BECAUSE THE SPEED
REMAINED CONSTANT WITH THE
AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THAT YOU HAVE
TO THE SCHOOL BUS.
MINDY: THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A
MASSIVE ACCIDENT.
CAN YOU GIVE ME AN IDEA OF HOW
LONG IT MIGHT TAKE TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT HAPPENED?
PERHAPS SINCE THE AID ON THE
SCHOOL BUS DID SURVIVE,
HOPEFULLY THAT PERSON CAN GET
MORE INFORMATION.
ROY: THAT IS GOING TO BE GREAT
THAT THE AIDE WAS ABLE TO
SURVIVE.
HOPEFULLY, THAT WILL SHED SOME
LIGHT ON WHAT TRANSPIRED WITH
ALL OF THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN
DONE AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
THE IMPACTS.
I WOULD SAY THIS IS GOING TO BE
SHUT DOWN AT LEAST EIGHT HOURS.
THESE OFFICERS ARE GOING TO HAVE
TO DO A LOT OF INVESTIGATION.
THEY STILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE
BODIES.
IT IS GOING TO BE A GOOD DAY
THAT FREDERICK ROAD GOING TO BE
SHUT DOWN AT THIS POINT.
I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO NOT BE
OUT OF HERE UNTIL THEY HAVE ALL
OF THE I'S DOTTED AND ALL OF THE
T'S CROSSED.
JASON: IT IS CHILLING --MINDY:
IT IS CHILLING TO YOUR MENTIONED
THAT THAT SCHOOL BUS WAS ON ITS
WAY TO PICK UP A CHILD ON THE
WAY JUST A COUPLE BLOCKS.
ROY: NO CHILDREN WERE ON THE
BUS.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, TRAGEDY
STRIKES.
UNTIL THE POLICE FIGURE OUT WHAT
HAPPEN IN THE MEDICAL EXAMINER
DOES THEIR INVESTIGATION, IT IS
JUST HEARTBREAKING.
MINDY: IT IS HEARTBREAKING.
THESE FIVE PEOPLE WHO PASSED
AWAY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO WORK
TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES
AND THEY WON'T BE COMING HOME.
IT IS A VERY SAD MORNING IN
BALTIMORE.
ROY: YES.
MIND CAPTAIN ROY TAYLOR, THANK
YOU SO MUCH.
WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE AHEAD AT

Federal investigators arrived in Baltimore on Tuesday to probe a crash involving a school bus and a commuter bus that killed six people and injured 10.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said investigators with the highway team have begun examining the vehicles involved and documenting the scene.

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Police said a school bus rear-ended a car, struck a roadside pillar and then veered into the oncoming Maryland Transit Administration bus, destroying much of the driver’s side.

Officials said the school bus driver and five people on the MTA bus were killed. No children were on the school bus at the time.

Federal records showed the transportation company that was operating a school bus involved in the wreck had no violations or other crashes reported over a recent two-year span.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records showed four inspections for AA Affordable Transportation over two years beginning in September 2014. The records show the company had 17 school buses and 17 drivers.

A representative of the company declined to talk with reporters outside its Baltimore office Tuesday, but said he might be able to comment later.

Baltimore City Public Schools said the bus involved in the crash provided curb-to-curb transportation to 18 elementary school students. The statement said such service generally is provided to students with special needs, homeless students or students who need special services.